POSERS FOR PUBLIC LIBRARY

Evening Star, Issue 22893, 26 February 1938, Page 1

POSERS FOR PUBLIC LIBRARY

A YEAR’S SELECTIONS AT GROYDOK Croydon Public Library has an ' almost world-wide reputation for the excellence of its information service, and people in all parts of Great' Britain, in Canada, the United State* i of America, and in Prance wrote last!/ year asking for 'information on all l , , sorts of subjects. In estimating the causes that lead ■ people to use their information officials at Croydon Public Library* I place the crossword puzzle very lowii in the list. Questions inspired by! crossword puzzles can usually be! answered by reference to a single. die-] tionary, and this the enthusiast will, usually do fdr himself. Nor do generalij knowledge tests seem to acconnt for' many of the questions. In the central lending for instance, the staff of the library* have been asked questions about the! deaf and dumb alphabet, glass embossing, badminton courts, the mak-, ing of papier mache masks, media iov.[ I mushroom culture other than manure,.; the hrasio and steps of a sailor’s horn-; pipe, and whether there is officially aij county of Hampshire. In the refer-’ ence library, where nearly 4,000 telephone inquiries were answered, last year, many of the questions were simple ; requests for an address, or the meaning of a word, or the state of the tides afc ‘ a seaside resort on a particular day. Others, however, involved considerable ■ research. QUESTIONS ASKED. . The following is a selection of the questions asked: — • What are crystal and ruby weddings? What are the comparative weights of the constituents of an egg shell? Who was the Procurator of London in A.n. 60? ' Of which are there more—acres in Yorkshire or words in the Bible? • What was the range of Big Bertha?, How many railway carnages are there in the British Isles? What lights are carried by trawlers? What is the Green Cross Group of poison gases? Was Masefield’s * The Everlasting Mercy’ based on fact? What are the steps of a .maypole dance? . ■ ' Is there evidence of the existence of 1 tariffs or trade restrictions on the days of the Babylonian, Greek, or Homan empires?: ~ •.*>- What expenses may "'be incurred by candidates municipal -Elections ? Whereas Tattar M&seii'fWhat Is the Japanese Government doing in order to prevent the increase of disease among silkworms ? What is the Laissez-faire policy ”? What is the wording of the oath of allegiance? • _ ■ ■ 1 What is the difference between the rank of sergeant-major to-day and in. Cromwell’s time? How much, and what kinds of paper are produced in Great Britain during one year? •